Schneiderman’s leadership in cracking down on fraud is heralded by whistleblowers, local governments, school boards, labor, and taxpayer advocates Makes New York’s Anti-Fraud Whistle-Blower Law Strongest in Nation

After Rochester Man Is Cleared For Murder He Did Not Commit, Senator Schneiderman Renews Call For Wrongful Conviction Legislation

NEW YORK – After 18 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Frank Sterling was exonerated Wednesday. DNA evidence identified Mark Christie as the actual perpetrator of the 1988 murder of an elderly woman for which Sterling was convicted in 1992. According to the Innocence Project, Christie recently gave multiple detailed confessions that included facts that were not known to police or the public and have been backed up by prosecutors. Senator Eric Schneiderman, the Chair of the Codes Committee which oversees criminal justice policy, hailed the exoneration and renewed his push for wrongful conviction legislation that would preserve post-conviction DNA evidence and mandate electronic recording of entire interrogations. “Every time an innocent man is sent to prison, the real criminal is let off the hook. The exoneration of Frank Sterling is a wake up call to take action in order to prevent another wrongful conviction from happening again. Let’s not waste this opportunity to make New York’s criminal justice system more fair, reliable and just,” said Senator Eric Schneiderman. Last fall, Senator Schneiderman introduced the “Actual Innocence Act of 2009” (S.5234). The bill creates a freestanding ground of “actual innocence” upon which a criminal court could grant a motion to vacate its prior conviction where a defendant is able to present “reliable and relevant” proof that “conclusively establishes” actual innocence of the crime of which he or she was convicted.

"The Governor’s decision to turn the charges of domestic violence by his aide David Johnson – and of the conduct of the New York State Police in response to those allegations—over to the New York State Attorney General for a full investigation is the right way to handle this ugly situation. I am confident that the Attorney General will conduct a thorough inquiry.

NEW YORK – The Rev. Al Sharpton, Senator Eric T. Schneiderman and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries joined forces with a statewide coalition today to announce a new organizing campaign plan to end prison-based gerrymandering in New York State before the 2010 Census.

The devastation in Haiti is heartbreaking beyond words. I am proud that our national government is moving quickly to provide assistance, but at a time of such incomprehensible loss we all have an individual responsibility, as well as a collective one, to contribute to the relief effort.

The Special Committee of Inquiry, chaired by Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, to investigate the conduct for which Senator Hiram Monserrate was convicted by the State Supreme Court of Queens County, today released its final report with recommendations.

Bill HammondSupporters of same-sex marriage sadly lost the 38-to-24 vote in the state Senate last week, but they won the argument.On the merits, the debate wasn't even close.In fact, with the lonely exception of Bronx Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., opponents literally said nothing to justify denying equal marital rights to tens of thousands of New Yorkers.The only word 37 of them spoke was "no."Their collective silence was shameful.

New York’s campaign finance system ranks among the nation’s worst. With gaping loopholes, sky-high contribution limits, lax enforcement, and no statewide public funding program – this failed system is in desperate need of reform.

By John EligonIn a recent 79-page decision, a Manhattan judge could well have stopped after the first four sentences of his concluding paragraph and still conveyed his main point: that Fernando Bermudez was no longer guilty of murder.

Instead, the judge, Justice John Cataldo of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, tacked on a fifth sentence that ended with two powerful words: “actual innocence.”

I am proud to announce that the Senate passed Leandra's Law, landmark legislation drastically increasing the penalty for any person who drives intoxicated with a child passenger. The law is named in honor of 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a drunken driving accident in October. Her father, Lenny, has been an incredible advocate and driving force in protecting our families from deadly drunk drivers.